Redfin Mortgage Just Launched

Whoa. In an unexpected turn of events, online real estate brokerage Redfin has launched a new mortgage service called, you guessed it, “Redfin Mortgage.”

Well, maybe it wasn’t so unexpected, seeing that the mortgage trend is decidedly moving from refinances to purchases. Just ask Motto Mortgage…

So it’s a very smart move for Redfin to get their hands on all that mortgage business, while also gaining more control of the many moving parts involved in the typical home purchase.

In announcing the news, and the new website, the company noted that Redfin Mortgage “is the next step in our mission to put customers first.”

Redfin Agents and Redfin the Lender Will Work Together

Redfin’s goal is to streamline the home loan process

By creating a unified team from within the same company

It can seamlessly integrate its lending platform with Redfin’s home-buying service

To both speed things up and provide a smoother loan closing

The goal seems to be harmony, and also savings, something Redfin introduced as an online real estate brokerage many years ago.

They only charge a 1.5% commission to sellers, which they refer to as “half the usual listing fee.” Might be a little less as 2.5% is a typical fee these days, but still, they don’t charge as much as a full-service brokerage.

And with many, if not all, home buyers using Redfin to peruse homes for sale, Redfin-listed properties get prominence as they’re always found at the top of the list. That doesn’t mean they’ll sell faster or for more, just that they’ll get plenty of exposure.

Redfin Mortgage Will Begin as a Purchase-Only Home Loan Lender

At the moment they only offer home purchase loans

Though eventually they might dip their toes into the refinance waters

You must use a Redfin real estate agent

If you want to take advantage of their home lending platform

Initially, Redfin Mortgage will only dole out mortgages to help customers purchase homes, with mortgage refinances perhaps coming later, depending on how things go.

Redfin Mortgage will also only originate mortgages for those home buyers represented by a Redfin agent. By the way, Redfin credits back some of their commission for buyer’s closing costs too, which can make the mortgage process run a bit smoother (and cheaper).

While Redfin Mortgage will work exclusively with Redfin agents, it will not bar its people from continuing to work with other mortgage lenders or brokers that they have relationships with.

And I’m sure the buyer can always use whichever broker or lender they choose – this is simply another option.

Redfin hired Jason Bateman, no not that guy from Juno and Arrested Development, but the former executive vice president of mortgage operations at BBVA Compass, to spearhead the operation.

Bateman will run Redfin Mortgage out of a new Dallas-based office, with software engineers providing support from up in Seattle.

A Streamlined, Tech-Heavy Digital Operation

Redfin Mortgage rates seem fairly competitive

Especially since they don’t charge lender fees

But loan options are limited to 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, and 5/1 ARM

They also provide a fully-underwritten pre-approval reviewed by an underwriter

One thing that might give home buyers a head start is their fully-underwritten mortgage pre-approval, which is actually reviewed by a loan officer and an underwriter.

They expect a streamlined operation thanks to a “single system” that can be accessed by Redfin Mortgage advisors, real estate agents, title companies, and the customer.

This, they hope, will lead to on-time closings, something that is paramount in the home purchase world of lending.

The portal will notify all parties when something comes up, such as a low appraisal, so time isn’t wasted sending emails and making phone calls to get everyone in the loop.

Seen above is a screenshot of a sample scenario from June 8th, 2018 to give you an idea of what rate might be offered by the company.

It’s a hypothetical home purchase with 20% down on a primary home valued at $250,000 with excellent credit. Basically a vanilla scenario. Rates seem to be quite competitive, especially with the lack of lender fees.

Also, their mortgage advisors will not be paid a commission for offering a certain loan product or rate because they’ll be paid based on customer reviews.

This is similar to newer mortgage startups like Sindeo and SoFi, perhaps an emerging industry trend.

Redfin Mortgage also recently announced a so-called “30-day closing guarantee” in which they will give the home buyer a $1,000 credit toward closing costs if they’re unable to fund a mortgage in 30 days.

So aside from keeping costs down, they also aim to close loans as quickly as possible, which is always important when it comes to a home purchase.

However, there are a lot of deadlines the borrower must abide by along the way to ensure the closing guarantee remains in place, including one fairly aggressive one. They require borrowers to lock their mortgage rate within six days of the purchase contract and pay for the appraisal.

Additionally, some loans are excluded from the promotion, including jumbo loans. Read the fine print to ensure you’re eligible.

At the moment, Redfin Mortgage is only available to customers in Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington D.C. They plan to expand to additional new markets in 2018 and beyond.

Should be interesting…

Redfin Mortgage Highlights

Will offer purchase mortgages only

Initially only available to buyers represented by Redfin real estate agents